DHL is investing $15m in robots from Boston Dynamics to automate its warehousing in North America.

The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that begins with equipping DHL facilities with Stretch, Boston Dynamics’ latest robot designed to automate the unloading process in distribution centres.

This agreement is the culmination of collaboration between the two companies over the past few years as Stretch was being developed and tested. Boston Dynamics will deliver a fleet of Stretch robots to multiple DHL warehouses throughout North America over the next three years. The deal with DHL marks the first commercial purchase of Stretch, which was unveiled last year.

The investment is part of DHL’s accelerated digitalisation agenda, a strategy for developing and scaling innovations and new technologies. Stretch will tackle several box-moving tasks in the warehouse, beginning with truck unloading at select DHL facilities. Following the first deployment, the multi-purpose mobile robot will handle additional tasks to support other parts of the warehouse workflow, which will effectively automate warehouse operations.

“At DHL Supply Chain, we are committed to continuous innovation and digital transformation to optimise the end-to-end supply chain,” said Sally Miller, CIO for DHL Supply Chain in North America. “Investing in warehouse automation plays an important role in increasing operational efficiency and improving service for our customers. We’re excited to partner with Boston Dynamics to deploy its best-in-class robotics in our warehouses. The Stretch robot addresses complex industry challenges through flexible automation, which we’ll be able to replicate and scale regionally and globally.”

Stretch’s technology builds upon Boston Dynamics’ decades of advancements in robotics to create a flexible, easily integration that can work in any warehouse to increase the flow of goods and improve associate safety by taking over physically demanding tasks. Stretch is equipped with a compact, omni-directional mobile base, custom-designed lightweight arm as well as a smart gripper with sensing and controls that can handle a large variety of box types and sizes. It also includes computer vision technology, which enables it to identify boxes easily and without any pre-programming. Stretch can work autonomously through complex situations such as disordered stacking configurations and recovering fallen boxes.

“Stretch is Boston Dynamics’ newest robot, designed specifically to remedy challenges within the warehouse space,” said Robert Playter, Boston Dynamics’ CEO. “We are thrilled to be working with DHL Supply Chain to deliver a fleet of robots that will further automate warehousing and improve safety for its associates. We believe Stretch can make a measurable impact on DHL’s business operations, and we’re excited to see the robot in action at scale.”

Deployment of the first Stretch units in DHL warehouses will begin this spring, and DHL plans to gradually scale Boston Dynamics’ robots for additional tasks and across multiple facilities in phases over the next few years.